1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to oil lamps. More specifically, the invention is a remote micro-controlled oil lamp having a electrically controlled wick and audio circuit for igniting and signalling wick illumination and deactivation.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous oil lamps have been devised which include the use of a variety of different mechanisms for either extinguishing and activating a flame or controlling the time in which light from a lamp is provided. U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,069 issued to Burchfiel discloses a time controlled lamp lighting device having an alarm clock mounted therein. As earliest as Sep. 23, 1919, time control features have been found necessary for minimizing manual manipulation of lamps, however, most lamp features then were prone to mechanical limitations requiring manual use of mechanical elements such as springs and winding mechanism for activation.
As early as Sep. 16, 1975, the need for automatic extinguisher mechanisms or features was still wide spread and unfulfilled. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,746 issued to Patrikos sought to fulfill this need by disclosing a fuel body container having two sources of stored energy (i.e. spring like mechanisms) which also worked primarily by mechanical principles for manual manipulation.
These conventional lamps as further described hereinbelow undergo material failure due to the use of mechanical elements such as springs and the like, which suffer from cyclical material fatigue or loss of recoil or compression. Also, such lamps utilize a material wick which has the tendency more often than not, to lack a sufficient level of fuel saturation for maintaining a flame. The remote micro-controlled laser oil lamp as herein described does not suffer the aforementioned problems and has flexible utility for indoor and outdoor use with virtually no wicker or flame dissolution.
Patents respectively issued and granted to Yamaguchi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,845 and UK 2083198) disclose a liquid hydrocarbon burner of the type having a vertically adjustable wick comprises an inner ring on which the wick is mounted, an intermediate ring outside the inner ring and an outer ring outside the intermediate ring. The rings are relatively rotatably and relatively vertically movable. Guide pins are disposed in slots formed in the rings so that when the outer ring is rotated, the inner ring moves vertically. This relative motion between rings is used to ignite supplied gas lowering and raising the wick.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,150 issued to Nilsson discloses an illuminating device which is operated on an inflammable liquid fuel and which comprises a container, burner and a wick arranged in the burner. The container has provided therein one or more opening for balancing pressure within the container. The burner is arranged to co-act with a shield which in a working position, permits the flame to burn freely, while in the event of the position of the device being radically changed is brought into abutment with the free end of the wick and extinguishes the flame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,286 issued to Olsen discloses a lamp for liquid fuel comprising a fuel container, a wick support connected to an opening in the container and a wick supported by the wick support and connected to the container, such that fuel can be led by capillary forces from the container to the wick support.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,577 issued to Stewart discloses a fuel bottle with a candle-like attachment disposed at the upper neck portion of the bottle. The upper neck portion is configured to removably receive a top for closing or enclosing fuel stored therein. A wick is adjustably carried by a member forming part of the attachment for vertical adjustment with respect to the main body of the attachment. The wick is arranged so that, when the attachment is coupled to the neck of the bottle, the wick extends downwardly into the liquid fuel stored therein. When the top is removed the wick is exposed for lighting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,852 issued to Ferren discloses a lamp device having a fuel reservoir consisting of a metal top and plastic bottom with a wick extending upward from the reservoir. A shell surrounds the reservoir and is removably attached to the fuel reservoir so that the fuel reservoir may be pulled from the bottom of the support and the amount of fluid observed through a plastic portion of the reservoir.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,750 issued to Bridgewater discloses a remote controlled fireplace burner. The ignition source is controlled by a hand held remote transmitter of radio frequency (RF) or infrared wave energy which activates a valve means to effect a supply of fuel for subsequently igniting the pilot. The igniter is connected to an igniter module constructed to produce a response to the reception of a signal from the transmitter. A receiver incorporates a relay which temporarily closes to transmit electrical energy from a 24 volt source to the module.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,685 issued to Applicant discloses a remote light wick extinguisher that uses the movement of air to extinguish candle light flames. Energy as described by Thigpen is sent from a transmitter to a remote receiver. The receiver actuates a circuit, such as a mono-stable multi-vibrator or one shot producing a pulse. The pulse, having sufficient amplitude and duration, actuates a transducer, similar in function to a speaker.
Other patent documents issued and respectively granted to Barbuto (Des. 316,152), Caplette et al. (Des. 359,369), Boss (Des. 411,633), Belschner (Des. 413,172) and Mori (JP 553574) are directed to ornamental wick features saturated by conventional means of liquid bath fuel.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The remote micro-controlled oil lamp according to the invention has a base with a crystal housing and reservoir for an electrically activated wick. Mounted within the base is a coupled photodetector and audio circuit which respectively receives and transmits signals for lighting the wick and sounding a pre-recorded message to signify an on/off condition. The wick is provided in the form of a pair of electrodes which are electrically activated via the photodetector by a remote laser source and/or a manual switch mounted within the base. When the lamp is either remotely or manually activated the electrodes generate a spark across a combustible fluid filled cylindrically shaped gap as a catalyst to produce a candle light or flame. The candle light is maintained by a fuel channel bath separately disposed between a pair of electrodes which are centrally arranged within a reservoir and centrally mounted to the base. A micro-pump circuit is also disposed within the base of the reservoir to ensure an adequate supply of fuel from the reservoir up through the cylindrically shaped fuel channel for spark activation.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp for supplying an extended source of candle light without wick deterioration.
It is another object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which is remotely activated and deactivated.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which audibly supplies a message indicating an on/off condition of the lamp.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a remote micro-controlled oil lamp which continually supplies a combustible oil or fuel via micro-controlled micro-pump.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.